1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in a personnel waiting guidance and control system for guiding a group of individuals in a controlled manner and through a selected path to a particular activity.
2. Brief Description of Related Art
Personnel guidance and control systems have long been used in a variety of activities for controlling the path of movement of a group of individuals to an activity. As a few simple examples, these guidance and control systems have been used for controlling a group of people waiting for one or more tellers in a banking institution or otherwise a group of people waiting to use a series of one or more automated teller machines. In like manner, these guidance and control systems are frequently used for various entertainment and amusement activities to control a group of people who are desirous of entering the activity. These systems form a selected path for entry in a controlled manner and in controlled numbers to the entertainment or amusement activity. There are numerous other activities in which these guidance and control systems have been used.
Generally, all of the conventional guidance and control systems rely upon the use of movable standing poles mounted on heavy base plates and which contain cables such as chains, ropes or the like thereby defining a pathway for the individuals. The other forms of personnel guidance and control systems rely upon lines painted on a ground surface, such as a pair of spaced apart lines, which define a guidance path to a particular activity.
Each of these commercially available guidance and control systems suffer from a number of drawbacks which somewhat limits their effectiveness. First of all, where the movable poles are employed and hold a flexible cable, personnel waiting in the lines or others either intent on theft or vandalism can mischievously move the poles with the guidance cables extending therethrough to another location. Secondly, when the poles and cables are located in an outside environment, they must be periodically removed and stored to prevent theft or vandalism, as for example, when the activity has closed. Thirdly, even at a daytime or lighted period, there are also incidents of theft and/or vandalism to either the poles or cables or both.
There have also been several incidents where children have attempted to push on the poles used for holding guide robes or similar cords. Because of the heavy weighted body portions, the poles would spring back and strike the children attempting to push on same, thereby resulting in injury. There have also been several cases where children, and even some adults, attempt to stretch elastic cables extending between the poles allowing them to elastically return to their original position. This again can result in the striking of an individual causing injury.
In the case of painted markers on the ground surface, such as a pair of spaced apart path defining lines, after a period of time, the paint forming these lines becomes worn and must again be repainted. Moreover, if there should be a change of plans to redefine the waiting path, then it is necessary to remove the existed painted lines and repaint those path defining lines in a new position. These activities are both time consuming and expensive and furthermore require periodic maintenance.
Another one of the problems with painted markers, such as painted lines, is the fact that it is virtually impossible to paint a straight line on certain ground surfaces, as for example, hand-laid tile surfaces. Due to the unevenness of the tile, it is difficult to apply a straight line. On dirt surfaces, movement of the dirt will cause disruption of the lines. Tapes have been applied to the ground surface in order to produce guidelines. Again, tapes tend to rub off and after a short period of time become tattered, if not completely removed from the ground surface. With fixed markers, there is a need for a dedicated floor space to allow sufficient room for wheelchair maneuvering and the like. However, many facilities were not designed with extra space for such movement and, to accommodate disaled people, substantial space is required.
In my aforesaid co-pending patent applications, there is set forth a system in which individual small discrete elements can be arranged on a ground surface to define a pathway of movement for a group of individuals, along with another element defining an end of the line or so-called “thread of the line” position. This system is highly effective in overcoming many of the serious drawbacks in the prior art guidance and control systems. However, the provision of the small discrete elements and an elongate element defining a head of a line position requires manual mounting to a ground surface in a desired arrangement.
The present invention provides an improvement over the personal guidance and location control system defined in that aforesaid co-pending application, in that small discrete floor covering substrate segments having the discrete elements and the elongate element pre-incorporated on these floor covering substrates allows for rapid installation. Moreover, when a user of the system desires to obtain a certain guidance and location control system, the user can provide a desired description of a floor plan and a guidance and location pathway can be pre-prepared on one or more floor covering substrates.